title: Nicotine affects cutaneous wound healing in stressed mice.
abstract: Stress is an important condition of modern life. Nicotine addiction can modulate the physiological response to stress. Cutaneous healing is a complex process resulting in scar formation, which can be delayed by stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nicotine administration on cutaneous wound healing in chronically stressed mice. Male mice were submitted to rotational stress, whereas control animals were not subjected to stress. These stressed and control animals were treated with a transdermal nicotine patch that was changed every day. A full-thickness excisional lesion was also generated, and 14 days later, lesions had recovered. However, the Stress + Nicotine group presented a delay in wound contraction. These wounds showed a decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration and lower expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), whereas there was an increase in angiogenesis and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression. In vitro fibroblast migration was also impaired by the nicotine treatment of stressed-stimulated cells. In conclusion, nicotine administration potentiates the delay in wound closure observed in mice submitted to stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Taís F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Romana-Souza
authors.forename: Saul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abreu-Villaça
authors.forename: Andréa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monte-Alto-Costa
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013997:Time Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: chronic stress; fibroblasts; nicotine; wound healing